Time to end Hindu-Muslim divide
Editor,
This is with reference to Rudi V Warjri’s article, “‘Othering’ narrative in today’s Meghalaya and India” (ST, October 28, 2023). To foil the divisive design to brand Muslims as ‘invaders’, ‘infiltrators’ and the ‘Other’ in India, we need Swami Vivekananda to perform a surgery to remove the malignant tumour of Islamophobia. We need to understand his words, “The Mohammedan conquest of India came as a salvation to the downtrodden, to the poor.” His action of worshipping a Muslim girl as Goddess Durga as he did in Kashmir in 1898. He requested a poor Muslim boatman to allow his four-year old daughter to be worshipped as Durga. The boatman was overwhelmed. He thought as if God was asking him through Swami Vivekananda and he readily agreed.
On the day of Mahasaptami of Durga puja, Swami Vivekananda knelt down to touch the feet of a poor Muslim girl. With this singular act, he defied divisions of religion, region, race, caste, class, creed, occupation, gender and generation to hoist the flag of universal humanhood. Actually, Swami Vivekananda did a Sri Ramkrishna who himself practiced Islam, Christianity and other religions to live his words ~ “many opinions, many paths.” As a matter of fact, they lived secularism not just spoke about it. Secularism gives the people unhindered freedom to practice any religion of their choice.
We need to adhere to Swami Vivekananda’s prescription for a mixture, “of the two great systems, Hinduism and Islam — Vedanta brain and Islam body” to thwart anti-Muslim, Hindu victimhood discourses and hate speeches.
When one in four Indians practices untouchability in his or her daily life (India Human Development Survey in 2011-12) and 95 among 100 Indians avoid inter-caste marriages (National Council of Applied Economic Research Study in 2016), we need Swami Vivekananda to remind us that, “Modern caste distinction is a barrier to India’s progress. It narrows, restricts, separates. It will crumble before the advance of ideas.” He rightly said that millions were oppressed in the name of religion in India and one of the chief causes of India’s ruin was the monopoly of education by a few belonging to the privileged classes.
When a paradigm shift has taken place in political priority from people’s welfare to temple politics and the sun and moon missions, our political leaders must listen to what Swami Vivekananda had said, “If you want to find God, serve man. To reach Narayana you must serve the Daridra Narayanas – the starving millions of India.”
Our society is in urgent need of cutting itself free from the walls of prejudices, superstitions, hatred and falsehood and respond to Swami Vivekananda’s clarion call to ~ “Arise, awake, let minor things, and quarrels over little details and fights over little doctrines be thrown aside, for here is the greatest of all works, here are the sinking millions.”
At the time when both National Sample Survey report and Global Hunger Index report show a horrific picture of child wasting and child stunting in India, we need Swami Vivekananda’s words, “I consider that the great national sin is the neglect of the masses, and that is one of the causes of our downfall. No amount of politics would be of any avail until the masses in India are once more well educated, well fed, and well cared for. They pay for our education, they build our temples, but in return they get kicks. They are practically our slaves. If we want to regenerate India, we must work for them.”
When a Union minister of Women and Child Development made a joke of hunger which her elite group of audience shamelessly enjoyed, we need Swami Vivekananda to give them a piece of his mind with his words, “I will call every man a traitor who acquired education at the cost of poor but did not bother about them.”
Yours etc.,
Sujit De,
Kolkata
Impact of AI in the workspace
Editor,
I am writing to highlight the profound impact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has had on our workplaces. In recent years, the integration of AI technologies in professional settings has been nothing short of transformative. This innovation, now pervasive across various industries, has altered the dynamics of the workplace in terms of who it affects, what it entails, when it took hold, where it’s implemented, why it’s being adopted, and how it’s influencing our work environments.
AI’s reach extends to employees across the spectrum, from blue-collar workers in manufacturing to white-collar professionals in finance, healthcare, and more. It touches nearly every aspect of our work, from automating routine tasks to providing data-driven insights for informed decision-making. This technological revolution has been steadily unfolding, with notable advancements and implementations occurring across the globe, from corporate offices in busy cities to remote work settings in suburban homes. The “why” behind this surge in AI adoption is clear: it offers the promise of enhanced efficiency and productivity. The ability to handle repetitive tasks, process vast amounts of data, and even engage in natural language conversations sets AI apart as an invaluable tool for the modern workplace. Employers are drawn to the potential cost savings and improved performance that AI can bring. However, this shift towards greater AI integration also raises crucial questions and concerns. The “how” of AI in the workplace, particularly automation, prompts inquiries about the future of employment. As AI assumes certain job roles, what will be the implications for the workforce? Ensuring a harmonious coexistence of AI and human workers becomes a paramount consideration. Additionally, ethical concerns surrounding data privacy, security, and transparency in AI decision-making processes require thoughtful attention.
In conclusion, the impact of AI in the workplace is a multifaceted issue with far-reaching consequences. It is imperative that we, as a society, actively engage in dialogues and policy discussions to navigate these changes and strike a balance that harnesses the power of AI while safeguarding human interests.
Yours etc.,
Cassandra Rimaia Pajat
Shillong
Public sector banks in trouble
The editorial “Loot as business” ST October 28, 2023 is interesting. The all-time high Non-Performing Loan ratio, which is a measure of the rate at which a bank’s loans are not repaid, registered 14.7% in March 1999. This ratio was 3.82% in 2014. In 2015 it recorded 4.27%, in 2016 it was 7.48%, in 2017 it recorded 9.32% and was up to 11.18% in 2018 which is almost 12 times the ratio in 2014. In 2019 it recorded 9.07%, in 2020 it was 8.21% and in 2021 it was 7.32%. In 2022 it recorded 5.82%. The Minister of State for Finance informed Parliament on 7th August 2023 that banks have written off bad loans worth Rs 14.56 lakh crore in the last nine financial years, starting 2014-15. Of the total Rs 14.56 lakh crore, written off loans of large industries and services stood at Rs 7,40,968 crore which is 51 percent of the bad loans. In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Bhagwat Karad said that Scheduled Commercial Banks have recovered an aggregate amount of Rs 2,04,668 crore in written-off loans, including corporate loans, since April 2014 and up to March, 2023 which is just 14 percent of bad loans.
The editorial has rightly pointed out that “the failure on the part of the media to highlight the harm that the nation is faced with in terms of a likely collapse of the banking system and resultant devastation of the national economy itself is also a matter of serious worry.” Non-Performing Assets pose a challenge to banks because they reduce the profitability as well as the liquidity of banks. Public Sector banks are famous for bad loans. According to Statista 2023, Public Sector Banks accounted for 79% of bad loans in 2019 while Private Sector Banks share was 20 percent, Foreign Banks 1 percent and Small Finance Banks was negligible. In 2022 Public Sector Banks accounted for 73 percent, Private Banks 24 percent, Foreign Banks 2 percent and Small Finance Banks 1 percent.
Yours etc.,
V.K.Lyngdoh,
Via email